1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and, more particularly, to a recording apparatus comprising an automatic discharge mechanism after a printing operation.
2. Prior Art
In a conventional apparatus of this type, a sheet is conveyed through processes, i.e., paper feeding from a hopper, a printing operation in a printing section, and paper discharge after the printing operation. In consideration of a simple and compact apparatus, a path along which the sheet is conveyed must be simple and short.
In a previously proposed apparatus, a print mechanism and a paper discharge mechanism are arranged adjacent to each other, and are driven by a single drive source. During the printing operation, a paper discharge roller of the paper discharge mechanism is escaped or disengaged from a paper guide portion so as not to load or interface with the feeding of a printing sheet. During the paper discharge operation, the paper discharge roller is moved in the paper guide portion to discharge a sheet.
However, the paper feed and paper discharge operations have no continuous and intimate relationships therebetween. Therefore, if the paper discharge roller is driven by the paper feed motor as described above, control operations for the paper feed and paper discharge operations are rather complicated, resulting in functional limitations. In order to effectively transmit power of the paper feed motor, the paper feed roller (paper feed portion) and the paper discharge roller (paper discharge portion) must be arranged adjacent to each other, resulting in structural limitations.
In view of compact and lost-cost apparatus,.the print mechanism of the apparatus can employ frictional feed using a platen. In this case, the platen is driven by a pulse motor. In this case, in order to assure paper feed precision, a friction mechanism for attenuating motor vibration must be interposed between the platen and the pulse motor. Therefore, in the conventional apparatus, the pulse motor is used for only driving the platen through the friction mechanism. For this reason, the paper discharge mechanism is driven by another motor. As a result, the paper discharge mechanism is separated from the platen, and an additional convey mechanism must be arranged therebetween, resulting in a large, expensive, and complicated apparatus.